Webster's English Dictionary

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world

Cross references:
  1. earth                 
 
world \'w*r(-*)ld\ n [ME, fr. OE woruld human existence, this world, age; 
   akin to OHG weral] often attrib t age, world; both fr. a prehistoric 
   WGmc-NGmc compound whose first constituent is represented by OE wer man and 
   whose second constituent is akin to OE eald old - more at VIRILE, OLD 1a: 
   the earthly state of human existence  1b: life after death - used with a 
   qualifier {the next ~}  2: the earth with its inhabitants and all things 
   upon it  3: individual course of life : CAREER  4: the inhabitants of the 
   earth : the human race  5a: the concerns of the earth and its affairs as 
   distinguished from heaven  and the life to come 5b: secular affairs  6: the 
   system of created things : UNIVERSE  7a: a division, section, or generation 
   of the inhabitants of the earth  7b: a distinctive class of persons or 
   their sphere of interest {academic  ~} {sports ~} 8: human society 
   {withdraw from the ~}  9: a part or section of the earth that is a separate 
   independent unit  10: the sphere or scene of one's life and action  11: an 
   indefinite multitude or a great quantity or amount {make a ~  of 
   difference} 12: KINGDOM {animal ~}  13: a celestial body (as a planet); esp 
   : one that is inhabited  : among innumerable possibilities : EVER - used as 
   an intensive  {what in the world is it} : of extraordinary excellence : 
   SUPERB  - in the world